{
  "abstract": "In the AdS/CFT correspondence, correlation functions of the energy-momentum tensor in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory at large but finite 't Hooft coupling can be studied using higher-derivative corrections to supergravity. We show that the commonly used holographic prescription for correlation functions which is obtained by truncating the equations of motion at order $(α')^3$ implies that the thermal equilibrium state of N=4 SYM theory in the planar limit is dynamically unstable at arbitrarily large finite 't Hooft coupling. The instability is a reflection of the unphysical causality violation brought about by treating perturbatively-derived equations as if they were non-perturbative, analogous to the instability of AdS black branes in five-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet gravity. While other holographic prescriptions for treating the $O(α'^3)$ corrections to supergravity may alleviate the pathology introduced by the truncation, the validity regime of the results obtained by any prescription at $O(α'^3)$ must be limited to the strict perturbative treatment of the $O(α'^3)$ effects on N=4 SYM observables.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.28319",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Alex Buchel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pavel Kovtun"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zhgh4958gwz8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.28319",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "9zhgh4958gwz8",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.28319",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-th"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Black Holes and Theoretical Physics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223143141",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.28319",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-20",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zhgh4958gwz8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:34:04Z",
      "native_id": "2610.28319",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.28319"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:hep-th",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Causality violation in the holographic approach to N=4 SYM theory at finite 't Hooft coupling",
  "title_text": "Causality violation in the holographic approach to N=4 SYM theory at finite 't Hooft coupling",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:34:04Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zhgh4958gwz8",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}